The ever-presence of traditional medicine and of medical practitioners in remote areas of the world is well documented by anthropological studies. However, the social, cultural, and environmental factors influencing health and traditional health systems have been analyzed separately, ignoring the interlinkages existing between them and the resulting synergies as well as the impact these will have on the multiple aspects of local communities. This case study attempts to overcome this shortcoming, by investigating the interrelationships between biodiversity conservation and the practice of ethnomedicine in Southern India as a basis to implement primary health care, enhance local livelihoods, and contribute to poverty alleviation through community-based entrepreneurial activities.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AdamsV.MillerS.CraigS.NyimaS.DroyoungL., & VarnerM. (2005). The challenge of cross-cultural clinical trials research: Case report from the Tibetan Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. Medical Anthropology Quarterly, 19(3), 267–289.
2.
AppaduraiA. (1996). Modernity at large. Cultural dimensions of globalization. Minneapolis/London: University of Minnesota Press.
3.
BeckT., & NesmithC. (2001). Building on poor people's capacities: The case of common property resources in India and West Africa. World Development, 29(1), 119–133.
4.
BelcherB.Ruiz-PérezM., & AchdiawanR. (2005). Global patterns and trends in the use and management of commercial NTFPs: Implications for livelihoods and conservation. World Development, 33(9), 1435–1452.
5.
BerkesF.ColdingJ., & FolkeC. (Eds.). (2003). Navigating social-ecological systems: Building resilience for complexity and change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
6.
BickerA.SillitoeP., & PoltierP. (2004). Local knowledge: New directions, new approaches. Surrey, UK: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
7.
BrushS. B. (2007). Farmers' rights and protection of traditional agricultural knowledge. World Development, 35(9), 1499–1514.
8.
CampbellB.JeffreyS.KozanayiW.LuckertM.MutambaM., & ZindiC. (2002). Household livelihoods in semi-arid regions. Options and constraints. Bogor, Indonesia: Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR).
9.
CavendishW. (2000). Empirical regularities in the poverty—environment relationship in rural households: Evidence from Zimbabwe. World Development, 28(11), 1979–2003.
10.
CowanJ. K. (2001). Culture and rights: Anthropological perspectives. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Press.
11.
CrépeauR. (1997). Le chamane croit-il vraiment à ses manipulations et à leurs fondements intellectuels?Recherches Amérindiennes au Québec, 17(3–4), 7–18.
12.
EllenR., & HarrisH. (2000). Introduction. In EllenR.ParkesP., & BickerA. (Eds.), Indigenous environmental knowledge and its transformations. Critical anthropological perspectives (pp. 1–34). Australia: Harwood Academic Publishers.
13.
Food and Agriculture Organization. (2003). State of the world's forests. Rome, Italy.
14.
FisherM. (2004). Household welfare and forest dependence in Southern Malawi. Environment and Development Economics, 9, 135–154.
15.
GadgilM., & SeshagiriP. R. (2001). New meanings for old knowledge: The Peoples' Biodiversity Registers Programme. Ecological Applications, 10(1), 1349–1352.
16.
German Technical Cooperation (GTZ). (2001). Medicinal plants: Biodiversity for Healthcare. Germany, Eschborn.
17.
GodoyR.WilkieD.OvermanH.CubasA.CubusG.DemmerJ. (2000). Valuation of the consumption and sale of forest goods from a Central American rainforest. Nature, 406, 62–63.
18.
HamiltonA. C. (2004). Medicinal plants, conservation and livelihoods. Biodiversity and Conservation, 13, 1477–1517.
19.
HirtM., & M'PiaB. (1995). Natural medicine in the tropics: Tropical plants as a source of health care, production of medicines and cosmetics. Kisubi, Uganda: Marianum Press.
20.
HofmannF., & Marius-GnanouK. (2003). Les entre prises face aux enjeux du developpement durable. Paris, France: Karthala Editions.
21.
KalaC. P. (2003). Commercial exploitation and conservation status of high value medicinal plants across the borderline of India and Nepal in Pithoragarh. The Indian Forester, 129(7), 80–84.
22.
KalaC. P. (2005). Revitalizing traditional herbal therapy by exploring medicinal plants: A case study of Uttaranchal State in India, Ethnobotany Research and Applications, 3(1), 267–268.
23.
KartalM. (2006). Intellectual property protection in the natural product drug discovery, traditional herbal medicine and herbal medicinal products. Phytotherapy Research, 21(2), 113–119.
24.
LairdS. A., & PierceA. R. (2002). Sustainable raw materials in the botanicals industry: Constraints and opportunities. Acta Hort. (ISHS), 676, 111–117.
25.
LangwickS. (2007). Devils, parasites, and fierce needles: Healing and the politics of translation in Southern Tanzania. Science, Technology & Human Values, 32(3), 88–117.
26.
LawrenceA.PhillipsO.ReateguiA.LopezM.RoseS.WoodD. (2005). Local values for harvested forest plants in Madre de Dios, Peru: Towards a more contextualised interpretation of quantitative ethnobotanical data. Biodiversity and Conservation, 14, 45–79.
27.
MarshallE., & NewtonA. C. (2003). Non-timber forest products in the community of El Terrero, Sierra de Manantlan Biosphere Reserve, Mexico: Is their use sustainable?Economic Botany, 5(2), 262–278.
28.
MarshallE.SchreckenbergK., & NewtonA. C. (Eds.). (2006). Commercialization of non-timber forest product: Factors influencing success. Lessons learned from Mexico and Bolivia and policy implications for decision-makers. Cambridge: UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.
29.
McSweenyK. (2004). Tropical forests product sale as natural insurance: The effects of household characteristics and the nature of shock in Eastern Honduras. Society and Natural Resources, 17, 39–52.
30.
NarendranK.MurthyI. K.SureshH. S.DattarajaH. S.RavindranathN. H., & SukumarR. (2001). Nontimber forest product extraction, utilization and valuation: A case study from the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Southern India. Economic Botany, 55(4), 528–538.
31.
ParrenasR. (2000). Migrant Filipina domestic workers and the International Division of Reproductive Labor. Gender and Society, 14(4), 560–580.
32.
PathmanathanI.LiljestrandJ., & MartinsJ. M. (2003). Investing in maternal health: Learning from Malaysia and Sri Lanka. Health, Nutrition, and Population Series. Washington, DC: The World Bank.
33.
PushpangadanP. (2002). Traditional knowledge and folklore—A benefit sharing model experimental in India. Based on the presentation made during the Conference organized by the Commission on Intellectual Property Rights at London on February 21–22.
34.
RicherzhagenC., & Holm-MuellerK. (2004). Biodiversity conservation, access and benefit sharing and traditional knowledge. Ecological Economics, 53(4), 445–460.
35.
ScherrS. J.WhiteA., & KaimowitzD. (2004). A new agenda for forest conservation and poverty reduction. Making markets work for low income producers. Washington, DC: Forest Trends and Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR).
36.
SchuklenkU., & AshcroftR. (2002). Affordable access to essential medication in developing countries: Conflicts between ethical and economic imperatives. Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, 27, 179–195.
37.
ShackletonC. M., & ShackletonS. E. (2004). The importance of non-timber forest products in rural livelihood security and as safety nets: A review of evidence from South Africa. South African Journal of Science, 100, 658–664.
38.
SiebenhünerB.DedeurwaerdereT., & BrousseauE. (2005). Introduction and overview to the special issue on biodiversity conservation, access and benefit-sharing and traditional knowledge. Ecological Economics, 53(4), 439–444.
39.
SlikkerveerJ. (2006). Ethnoscience, <TEK> and its application to conservation. In PoseyD. A. (Ed.), Cultural and spiritual values of biodiversity (pp. 169–177). London: Intermediate Technology Publications UNEP.
40.
SubratN. (2002). Ayurvedic and herbal products industry: An overview. Paper at a workshop on Wise Practices and Experiential Learning in the Conservation and Management of Himalayan Medicinal Plants, Kathmandu, Nepal, December 15–20, 2002.
41.
SuneethaM. S., & ChandrakanthM. G. (2006). Establishing a multi-stakeholder value index in medicinal plants—An economic study on selected plants in Kerala and Tamil Nadu states of India. Ecological Economics, 60(1), 36–48.
42.
TakasakiY.BarhamB. L., & CoomesO. T. (2004). Risk coping strategies in tropical forests: Floods, illnesses, and resource extraction. Environment and Development Economics, 9, 203–224.
43.
World Health Organization (WHO). (2007). World Health Report, Geneva.
